§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what childcare provision is made available by his Department for the use of staff; what is the cost to parents of this childcare; how many parents used the facilities in the financial years(a) 1996–97 and (b) 1997–98; and what proportion of total staff used these facilities in the financial years (i) 1996–97 and (ii) 1997–98. [59717]
§ Mr. Chris Smith[holding answer 16 November 1998]: As part of an overall Equal Opportunities Policy the provision of childcare facilities within my Department is two-fold: (i) one nursery place for a child aged between 2 and 5 years at the Stepping Stones Nursery, based at Napier Hall, Pimlico. Parents currently contribute 50 per cent. of the cost of the nursery place at a rate of £79.00 per week.
(ii) DCMS staff can also use places at the Westminster Holiday Playscheme which caters for children between 5 and 12 years old and which operates during all the main school holidays at various locations in Whitehall and Victoria. Parents currently contribute 50 per cent. of the cost of the playscheme at a rate of £8.40 per day.
Four parents used the childcare facilities in each of the financial years 1996–97 and 1997–98. The proportion of total staff was 1.1 per cent.
My Department is committed to developing its family friendly policies further. Childcare is only one element. Measures already in place to help staff to balance work and family life include: part time working, jobshare, flexi-time, homeworking, paid maternity, paternity and adoption leave, career breaks and special leave for domestic purposes.